Once called up to the flight at around 9:30 am we headed up to the same gate that the Emirates A380 uses. The Emirates Boeing B777-300 is a smaller aircraft yet seems to fit nicely into the gate.

There was even a dedicated boarding lane for First Class only passengers. On checking my ticket the Emirates member of staff led me to a separate walkway, released the barrier and wished me a safe flight. There appeared to be a separate walkway to that used for Business Class passengers.

This is a little bit different to the A380. Since the A380 has two floors, both First and Business Class use the same walkway and door to enter the upper cabin.

Emirates First Class Cabin

On boarding it was clear that I had one of the Emirates First Class suites exactly the same as Emirates A380 First Class Suite.

Inside the Emirates First Class Suite

There were also four cabin crew dedicated to First Class when there were only 8 First Class seats on the B777-300.

Like the A380 the seat arrangement in First Class are 1 – 2 – 1 on the Emirates Boeing B777-300.

The two seats in the centre have a partition so you can have complete privacy or drop the partition if you are travelling with someone.

The First Class Emirates 777 Suite has a wardrobe section at the front to hang your coat. There is also ample room to store your carry on luggage. Safety belt straps help you to strap your luggage down to avoid it moving during flight.

Luggage storage and wardrobe inside the Emirates First Class Suite

There are a range of snacks in your personalised cabin on the Emirates B777-300 and a little mini bar.

The seat can be fully reclined to a 6’6” bed. That is longer than my bed at home!

The arm rests can also be lowered. This is a big plus as far as I am concerned. As a frequent traveller in Business Class I am often frustrated by a fully reclining seat being restricted by immovable armrests which stop me turning in my sleep. It almost seems as though Emirates First Class cater to your every need.

If I didn’t want to sleep then the chair can be adjusted in 7 different ways and includes a massage function.

For long haul overnight flights you can receive a complimentary sleep suit (pyjamas) and slippers. (You are generally not offered pyjamas in Business Class on Emirates.) I was not offered pyjamas this time since it was a day flight.

After a snooze 30,000 miles in sky I may well need to freshen up. Well there is a vanity mirror and some complimentary cosmetics in my own private suite.

The Emirates First Class cabin has closable doors so I can have complete privacy and I can highlight the “do not disturb” light.

The guide to the Emirates B777-300 First Class cabin indicated that there is a social area at the front of the cabin with snacks. The guide also told me that there is a pop-up toaster and cappuccino maker available for my use

My seat had access to a power socket which would suit most international plugs. Thanks to that I was able to write this blog post whilst flying First Class with Emirates 🙂

Plug socket on the Emirates B777

Also, like Business Class and the A380 it is possible to charge your iPhone, smart phone, kindle or tablet from your seat. There is a powered USB connection available.

USB socket on Emirates First Class and Business Class

It was also possible to use a satellite telephone, e-mail or sms (through the ICE system) from my seat on the Emirates B777-300. Although I’d hate to wonder what the charges would be like.

Some Emirates flights allow you to use your mobile phone in flight but you have to be advised if this is available on your flight. Whilst some people champion this idea from Emirates I hate it. When flying I want to relax, unwind and enjoy the time alone. I don’t want people all around me nattering on the phone. Or the continuous sound of phones ringing or texts arriving. Particularly that annoying four tone whistle sound some new phones make.

Staying in touch the traditional way was also an option. There was a nicely presented writing set consisting of writing paper, some envelopes and a fancy Emirates pen.

Entertainment with Emirates First Class

If you are flying long haul with Emirates First Class or Business Class you need not worry about being bored. My seat came with the standard Emirates in-flight magazine, called “open skies”. A 106 page combination of content and adverts.

There is also a magazine exclusive to First Class and Business Class called “Portfolio”. A 90 page magazine which seemed to have a slightly stronger weighting to content.

Of course there was a selection of daily newspapers and magazines to choose from.

Emirates provided a 66 page guide to the ICE entertainment system featuring films, radio, podcasts, easy listening and more than 40 games.

I was delighted to see one of my favourite films of all time, Baz Luhrman’s “Romeo + Juliet” with the delightful Claire Danes was featured as well as numerous new release films.

Inside the Emirates ICE guide

Emirates branded noise cancelling earphones were also provided. Whilst not in the same league as Bose or Beats they were of a higher quality than those offered by Delta.

Emirates First Class headphones

Facilities

The front of the First Class Emirates cabin offered 2 bathrooms. They were the size of normal Business Class toilets, compact but functional. There was no shower like First Class on the A380. Inside the bathroom I found complimentary combs and dental kits (toothbrush and toothpaste).

Food

Flying long haul you need to be fed. In this case the Emirates First Class experience did not disappoint.

As with most Business Class and First Class flights, Emirates offered a pre-flight drink. I opted for apple juice. Then just prior to take-off an air hostess offered dates (no, not with the air hostess!) and Arabic coffee. I used to live in Saudi Arabia (a main producer of dates) for nearly a year and a half so I know that I don’t like the taste of dates. It was easy for me to decline.

The menu had something for almost everyone. I list below the selection of food and drink on offer. All complimentary to Emirates First Class travellers in July 2013:-

The drink selection included

2 x champagne

4 white wines

5 red wines

a dessert wine

Graham’s Port (I’m sure Graham doesn’t mind)

a range of spirits

beers (including Budweiser, Amstel Light and Asahi)

A la carte dining at a time of your choosing:-

Canapés

Appetisers (choose from):-

Caviar #

Traditional local Arabic mezze

Seared tuna

Saffron chicken

Caviar on Emirates First Class

Main courses (choose from):-

Fillet of beef

Chicken biryani #

Prawn curry

Artichoke ravioli

Fillet of cod

A la carte vegetables (meals come with appropriate accompaniments but you could also choose your own including cauliflower mimosa, mixed saffron and white rice or soft polenta with vintage cheddar).

(Items marked with # were the items I chose and they were all delightful.)

Practically I found the table for use as a dinner or work table was a great size, certainly compared to any other flight experience I’ve had. Emirates made sure you had lots of room to spread out. On the negative side the table would not slide forward and backwards (it was not designed to do so) which meant I had to stretch to use it.

Table inside an Emirates First Class Suite

Overall, as you can see from my Emirates First Class review this really is travelling in style.

I would say there is very little difference in flying First Class on the Emirates B777-300 as opposed to First Class on the Emirates A380. On the B777-300 you cannot take a shower. There is no bar area to walk to but that is about the only difference.

There is no doubt in my mind that Emirates are one of the best airlines to fly with. It is also possible to say that they have the best First Class cabin, or at least the best I am aware of.

When you fly Emirates First Class, irrespective of aircraft it is true luxury.

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Comments

Definitely looks like a first class experience. I have never flown first class before, but it looks like it could be worth it to try once in your life. Mainly just for the ability to stretch out, which is a huge problem when you are stuck in the middle between other passengers. Great selection of amenities also. I’d like take some of Graham’s Port myself, hopefully he wouldn’t mind :).

Hi Andy, thanks for reading. Yes it really is luxury. Hopefully you’ll taste this experience soon. I’d just recommend that if you do so it is with a decent airline who provide real comfort. As for the port, no problem Graham has lots of it, or so he tells me 😉

Hi Phil, yes I got lucky this time and was upgraded for free so the journey was even more sweet. I’m not a big fan of caviar but how could I resist? 😉

I’ve got to agree with you that we get a raw deal from the US carriers as my article on Delta pointed out. It is a great shame that for such a large country you receive poor airline service when standards are being set higher in Europe and Asia.

Sounds like a great experience for you bud, glad you could share it! I’d love to say that I hope to try flying first class at some point, but I’d be happy enough with getting to try business class at this point haha! 🙂

What an excellent post! I enjoyed reading every word. I’ll be thinking if these images when I return to London from the US next week (in economy!). The ‘Do not Disturb’ light sounds like a fantastic feature too!

Great read but my question is if I go FC on the 777-300 and the A380 as a picky eater wil I be able to choose a little bit of something from each course, or can I get more of something I like from one or two of the listings,I also don’t drink so do you know is there things like Mango Juice like on Royal Brunei Airlines.Also which seats do you suggest as a single traveller on both planes.ARB

As for a seat ARB, it depends if you prefer window, aisle or central seats. Before flight day have a look for your flight on seat guru . com and see what seats are recommended and why. Then log into Emirates website and see if the seat is still available for you to reserve.

[…] a sense of style in the sky. Those traveling aboard a plane other than the A380 will still enjoy top-rate bathroom amenities. First class passengers have access to two dedicated bathrooms stocked with complimentary […]

[…] a sense of style in the sky. Those traveling aboard a plane other than the A380 will still enjoy top-rate bathroom amenities. First class passengers have access to two dedicated bathrooms stocked with complimentary […]

[…] a sense of style in the sky. Those traveling aboard a plane other than the A380 will still enjoy top-rate bathroom amenities. First class passengers have access to two dedicated bathrooms stocked with complimentary […]

[…] a sense of style in the sky. Those traveling aboard a plane other than the A380 will still enjoy top-rate bathroom amenities. First class passengers have access to two dedicated bathrooms stocked with complimentary […]